The Swell Season Announce Follow-up to Once

I just got word that Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, the creators of my second favorite album of 2007, are at it again.  The oscar-winning duo, The Swell Season, are in the studio putting the finishing touches on their follow up to the incredible ‘Once’ soundtrack.  Before this movie, Hansard was the lead singer of a fairly sucessful indie band called the Frames, and Irglova was an unknown Czech singer.  But after the success of ‘Once,’ they were able to go on a sellout world tour, which was captured for a documentary that is coming out soon.

The new album is titled Strict Joy, which comes from the work of an Irish poet named James Stephens. It was co-produced by Hansard and Peter Katis (The National, Mates of State) and finds them acompanied by many of Hansard’s band-mates from the Frames as well as many other talented instrumentalists that have played with the likes of Leonard Cohen and Levon Helm.  I haven’t had the opportunity to hear anything yet, but it’s set to be released September 29th on Anti-, and I am counting down the days.

Here is a live recording of the first track off the album and a fantastic cover of probably my favorite Van Morrison song.

The Swell Season – Low Rising (Live)

The Swell Season – Into The Mystic (Van Morrison)

Tracklist

1. Low Rising
2. Feeling the Pull
3. In These Arms
4. The Rain
5. Fantasy Man
6. Paper Cup
7. High Horses
8. The Verb
9. I Have Loved You Wrong
10. Love That Conquers
11. Two Tongues
12. Back Broke